Why is Holly Willoughby not on This Morning?
Viewers were left confused
As This Morning fans will know, Holly Willoughby has been fronting the popular daytime show alongside various presenters between Monday-Thursday since Phillip Schofield's shock exit in May, but fans were left confused when they switched on their TVs today (Monday 10th July).
For viewers who expected to see Holly alongside Craig Doyle on Monday morning's show, they were surprised to see Friday hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary on the sofa, with the pair confirming they were on hosting duty all week.
Why is Holly Willoughby not on This Morning?
According to reports, Holly has now started her Summer break, with the 42-year-old expected to return to the show in September after the school holidays.
Holly's last show before her break took place on Thursday 6th July, where she failed to mention she wouldn't be appearing over the Summer.
Over the weekend, Holly revealed the news she'd sadly lost her mother-in-law, sharing a heartwarming tribute to her husband's mum Sandra.
Sharing a photo alongside Sandra, Holly wrote: 'Sleep well Sandra… Nonna, Mother, Sister, friend… To know her was to know strength itself… Raising four children after losing her husband, she then lost a son and more recently her sister… Thank you for your guidance, advice and bottomless Prosecco. Thank you for raising the incredible man I’m married to… I see your strength everyday in our children… Be at peace…Love you ❤️'. (sic)
Following Phillip Schofield's resignation from ITV at the end of May, after he admitted to lying to his colleagues about a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague, Holly returned to the show on Monday 5th June.
Presenting alongside Josie Gibson, Holly held back the tears as she said: "Right, deep breath. Firstly, are you okay? I hope so. It feels very strange indeed sitting here without Phil and I imagine that you might have been feeling a lot like I have - shaken, troubled, let down, worried for the wellbeing of people on all sides of what's been going on. And full of questions.
"You, me and all of us at This Morning gave our love and support to someone who was not telling the truth, who acted in a way that they themselves felt that they had to resign from ITV and step down from a career that they loved. That is a lot to process and it's equally hard to see the toll that it's taken on their own mental health."
See which famous faces could replace Philip on This Morning:
Alison Hammond
Alison Hammond is the Friday host alongside Dermot O'Leary, but she's currently one of the favourites to take the full time role.
Dermot O'Leary
He hosts the show on a Friday alongside Alison Hammond, but fans would love to see Dermot O'Leary in a more full time role.
Josie Gibson
As well as being a loved member of the This Morning team, Josie has been promoted to host in recent months during the holidays, alongside Irishman Craig Doyle. And now she's appearing in I'm A Celeb, will she host the show permanently in 2024?
Cat Deeley
After joining Rylan Clark in November 2023 to host the show, fans were calling for Cat Deeley to become a permanent presenter!
Craig Doyle
Craig joined the This Morning team in 2021, presenting competitions before being promoted to a stand-in host alongside Josie Gibson. In recent months, Craig has presented the main show alongside the likes of Alison Hammond, Mollie King, Rochelle Humes, and Holly Willoughby.
Since Phillip's departure, Craig has been presenting the show frequently alongside Holly.
Rylan Clark
Until recently, Rylan Clark was a regular face on This Morning, stepping in to host the show as well as being the showbiz reporter. Now there's a position going, will Rylan leave his radio show to return?
Stacey Solomon
Stacey Solomon is firm favourite at ITV, having been a popular panellist on Loose Women for a number of years. Following Phillip's departure earlier this year, many of Stacey's fans believed she'd hinted she could be about to replace him, after revealing she'd just had 'one of the most exciting meetings of my life.'
Marvin and Rochelle Humes
Rochelle is a current member of the This Morning team and has stepped in to host the show a number of times, and she's also number of other shows alongside her husband Marvin! The pair would be a great fit!
Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford
Former Friday hosts Ruth Langsford and her husband Eamonn Holmes were replaced by bosses by Alison and Dermot, but could they be tempted to return to host the show?
Ben Shephard
Ben Shephard is a regular face on the ITV circuit - not only is he a regular presenter for Good Morning Britain, he also hosts daytime challenge show Tipping Point. He's an official stand-in on This Morning, having hosted alongside Holly in October, so could his role become more permanent?
Davina McCall
Davina is loved by TV fans across the UK, and she's been a regular guest on the show over the years, as well as occasionally stepping in to host.
Christine Lampard
Christine Lampard (née Bleakley) has been a stand-in for Holly Willoughby in the past, and she often presents Lorraine when Lorraine Kelly is off on holiday, meaning she's very well liked at ITV!
Gok Wan
Fashion guru and chef Gok Wan was a huge hit with viewers when he hosted the show alongside Rylan Clark back in 2018, and he's now a regular guest presenter on the show!
Vanessa Feltz
Vanessa Feltz has been a TV personality since 1992 - so she's VERY experienced. Having previously presented the show and often giving advice to callers, she wouldn't be a stranger to the show.
Abbey Clancy
Rumours are rife that TV presenter and model Abbey Clancy is the new favourite to replace Holly. The mum-of-four had a good relationship with ITV, having recently worked with them on Abbey Clancy: Celebrity Homes.
Hannah Waddingham
Actress and TV presenter Hannah Waddingham has also been thrown into the hat for the role. Known for roles on Ted Lasso, Game of Thrones and this year's Marks and Spencer Christmas advert, as well as presenting Eurovision 2023, Hannah would be a very popular choice.
Although the likes of Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle have been presenting the show alongside Holly over the last month, bosses are yet to reveal Phillip's permanent replacement.
This Morning airs every weekday at 10am on ITV and STV.
Now read:
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All of the potential replacements for Phillip Schofield on This Morning
Holly Willoughby's career: From children's TV host to daytime TV queen